Imagine…if instead of a motorcade with black, glossed-out windows, the PM rode a bicycle into Parliament House. What would we expect to see from this kind of prime minister? What kind of leader would they be?
This is what we are dealing with when Jesus rides a donkey into Jerusalem. A king would be expected to ride a fine, glossy stallion. The king of a subjugated people – that is, the first century people of Israel, existing under Roman rule – surely would have led their people into the centre of the city, to reclaim the political, economic and religious powers for the Jewish people. Was this what people were expecting from Jesus, the Messiah?
Well, that’s not what they get. Instead, they get someone in jeans and a t-shirt riding a bicycle into town.
I wonder...what kind of a king is Jesus? And what might we expect of his kingdom?
Words by Rev Andreana Reale
Image by @markheybo on Flickr